Welcome to the London 2012 Olympics – Third Time Charm

London is the only 3-time, modern day Olympic host. During the bidding process, Paris was the favored city. London, with the influence of Sebastian Coe, triumphed with a 4 point advantage (50-54).

Have you been reading stories about the weed-infested stadiums abandoned at the close of the 2008 Beijing Olympics? London’s goal is to avoid such headlines. The bottom-line is…what is built will be used. The top ring of the Olympic stadium will be removed to accommodate a more reasonably numbered crowd. Soccer teams will adopt soccer fields. The Olympic Village will house area residents. All these efforts have been lumped into one flag-waving word: Sustainability.

London’s advantage as the host to the 2012 Olympic games.

1. Revitalization of East London and the Lower Lea Valley. This area was a calculated selection by the LOCOG (London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games). Since WWII when this area was the manufacturing and shipping hub of war equipment and ammo, the east end has been where immigrants congregated.

Demolish, Dig, Design. A sign at the construction site of the Olympic Stadium

Winning the 2012 Olympic bid was the perfect motivation and authority to demolish old flats, dilapidated buildings and sludge filled canals. Additional rail has been constructed. Shopping facilities built. New flats, risen. In general, commerce in east London has entered a golden era. For additional information and interviews, click here.

2. Sustainability. Sustainability will be the legacy pinned on the 2012 London Olympics. Topping the list of sustainable goals is to limit waste and recycle 90% of all demolition materials.

Barges loaded with sludge removed from the canals

British Waterways has begun a major dredging project on the canals. Once the contaminated silt is removed, it will be washed and reused elsewhere. Soon, these canals will efficiently transport supplies to the Olympic facilities

3. Transportation. From rail to air, London’s transportation systems have taken a leap forward. Traffic from Europe will benefit from the Eurostar’s door-to-door stop at Stratford. Visitors arriving at St. Pancras Station can take advantage of a quick high-speed, 7-minute shuttle into Stratford. Efficient train service plus bus transport, bicycle and walking paths will keep car traffic out of the Olympic Park, reducing carbon emissions.

Photo guide to the 2012 London Olympics

Whether you’re catching the plane to London tomorrow or watching the festivities on TV, this photo guide will help you follow the action.

Map of the Olympic Park

The centerpiece of the Olympic Games is the stadium.

Olympic Stadium under construction

At the conclusion of the games, the top tier of the stadium will be removed to accommodate a smaller audience.

From 80,000 to 25,000…zip. This will be the new home of the West Ham United Football (soccer) team.

Artistic rendering of Olympic Stadium

Aquatic Center (known as The Wave):

The Wave under construction

This is the unique design of Zaha Hadid. The design consists of two temporary “wings” that will be removed after the games.

Artistic rendering of the Wave

The aquatic center has a 50m competition pool, a 25m diving pool and a 50m warm-up pool.

Velopark (known as the potato chip)

Velopark and BMX center

The Velopark can seat 6,000 fans. A glass wall between the tiers provide a 360 degree view for visitors inside and outside the facility. This is a permanent structure at the Olympic Park.

Walk London guidebook

If you are planning to visit London, Walk London, is a walking guide to landmarks in London and some interesting places outside of London. Clickhere to purchase a paperback or eBook of Walk London.